Thursday, December 13, 2007

Studds Farm

The Danger Of Making Assumptions

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes, assumptions can come completely unstuck. Yep, even assumptions made on the basis of what might seem perfect logic.

Consider this case. It was back in the days when I lived in India and edited a weekly sports magazine for a large media organisation. I was about twenty-four years old. At that stage, I rode a motorbike and wore one of the first locally manufactured full-face helmets. It was a Studds helmet, produced in Madras and after a couple of years, the sliding visor cracked when someone dropped a cricket bat on it.

The only way to replace it was to take the helmet all the way to Madras and have a new visor fitted by the Studds staff. Because I travelled a great deal, it was not long before I found myself booked on a flight for a two-day trip to Madras. I took an overnight bag with me, and carried the helmet in my hand. A very good friend of mine, the late sports journalist Ashok Kamath, met me at Madras airport and we walked out in deep conversation.

At the exit, someone asked me something in Tamil, a language I do not speak. The man was immediately rebuked by someone standing next to him. As we walked past them I asked Ashok what had just transpired. He chuckled and gave me a translation.

The first man had asked me if I wanted a cab or an auto-rickshaw. The second man had chided him for his apparent stupidity. ``Don’t you have eyes? The fellow is carrying a helmet, so he obviously has a motorcycle parked outside.’’

Couldn't have described it better myself! But then, I have enough common "horse-sense" to know better than to try such, in the FIRST place!

However, I have learned a bit about other languages years back, especially when it came to HAND-gestures! THIS doesn't necessarily mean THAT over THERE, let alone HERE! Although, they were fast-learners....!

Hit Parade

It Ain't Hollow, So They Follow (Thank you Mercury and Apollo!)

About Me

For a free wedding photography quote, go to davidmcmahonweddings.com. I am a Walkley Award-nominated journalist, wedding photographer and bestselling novelist. My first novel, `Vegemite Vindaloo', was published in April 2006 by Penguin Books India and was on the bestseller lists from July to December. My second novel, `Muskoka Maharani', a wartime love story, was published by Penguin in March 2010. I was born and educated in India, where I finished high school at St Joseph's College, North Point, Darjeeling. I live in Melbourne, Australia and travel the world with my cameras.